


Vampire's Heart

by astudyinfic



Series: Dragon's Heart [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: F/F, Jimon-centric, M/M, Simon POV, Soul Mate AU, dragon shadowhunters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2018-11-01 16:03:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10925241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinfic/pseuds/astudyinfic
Summary: A day after becoming a vampire, Simon manages to find his soul mate, a dragon named Jace Wayland.Simon's point of view for my fic "Dragon's Heart".  Probably won't make a lot of sense without reading the other story as well.





	1. Life through Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events up to the end of Chapter Four in [Dragon's Heart](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10438524/chapters/23047899)

Okay.  He was dead, which kinda sucked.  His life had ended and now everything Simon knew was gone.  Well, New York was still there.  And despite being dead, Simon was still walking around in it.  So maybe not everything was gone. 

But he couldn’t see his family.  He had his new friend-slash-sponsor-slash-sour faced pain in the ass watching him wherever he went, rolling his eyes and muttering in Spanish.  And the woman who killed him was still out there apparently. 

Really, death could be a lot worse.  But life had been a lot better. 

Dying turned out to be pretty painless.  Yeah, Simon thought, it helped to have a beautiful woman attached to his neck until his last breath.  But considering how horrible a person she was, the fact she literally drained the life from him and he actually _enjoyed_ it caused him a fair amount of embarrassment.  Everything felt really good and dreamy for awhile.  Then it got dark.  Then he woke with dirt in his mouth as he clawed his way out of the ground with a newfound thirst for blood. 

Not the best day of his life.  He woke the next night in a graveyard with a man who looked completely unimpressed with his dramatic exit from the ground.  “Here, drink,” he growled, tossing several bags at Simon.  Without thought he bit into them and drank them down, only realizing after the second what it was he drinking. 

“Blood!  What is wrong with you?”  Simon paused, eyes wide as he realized the thirst he felt was indeed for the bags he held in his hand.  “What is wrong with me?”

“You died.  I brought you back.  Drink up so I can take you out of here.  You aren’t going anywhere near people until I think you are safe.”  The man continued to lean casually against a tree, seemingly unconcerned about the effect the tree would have on the suit he was wearing.

Simon did as he was told, trying to ignore what it was he was drinking.  And the fact that nothing had ever tasted as good as that blood did.

Once sated, he sat back, looking at the grave, the empty bags, and the sad state of his clothes.  You were there, right?  At the hotel with Camille?  I’m sure I remember you.”

He nodded and offered Simon his hand, pulling him to stand.  “I was.  Before she killed you, I was her second in command.  Now, I’m the leader of the New York vampire clan.  My name is Raphael.”  He seemed almost nervous, shifting from side to side, hands shoved in his pockets a little too forcefully to look casual.  “Welcome to eternity.  You get used to it after awhile.”

“How old are you?” Simon asked, running after Raphael as the other turned to walk away.  “Are you some ancient and wise creature who has seen empires rise and fall, born in some far-off land?”  Simon read a lot of fantasy novels.  He figured he could not be blamed for this line of thought.

“I’m seventy-nine and I was born in Brooklyn.  Any other questions before we get back to the Hotel?  I don’t know about you, but I would prefer not to die tonight.  And you’ve already died once.  That is usually enough for most people.”   Raphael hardly slowed down but Simon kept up with him easily. 

“Die?  How would you die?  Aren’t vampires immortal? Are there vampire hunters around?  DO vampire hunters exist?”

Raphael spun on his heels to look at him. “Dios!  Do you _ever_ stop talking?”  Making a point of biting his lip to avoid asking more questions, Simon fell into step silently next to Raphael, even though questions continued to swirl in his head.  Eventually, Raphael answered his questions but never turned to look at him, eyes focused straight ahead.  “The sun can kill us.  And certain types of blades.  Otherwise, we will live forever.  Even if we go without blood, we will be so weak we can hardly function but we will continue to live on.  It’s best to feed every couple days or so, especially in your first few years.  You don’t want the thirst to get so bad that you lash out at anyone with a pulse who walks by.”

Forever.  It seemed a dream come true but looking over at Raphael, who appeared to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, Simon wondered how much of being a vampire was a curse rather than a blessing.  “Do we have to hunt humans?” he asked before he could stop himself.  Simon clamped a hand over his mouth, brown eyes wide and apologetic. 

Raphael didn’t seem to mind this question.  “It’s preferable if you do not.  The less attention we can bring to ourselves, the better.  We keep a fresh storage of blood at the hotel that you are welcome to any time you need it.  Some find a mortal who will let them feed but I wouldn’t recommend that at first.  Your control is going to be lacking and you could easily kill someone without realizing it.”

Approaching the hotel, Simon repressed a shiver.  He’d only been there once before but considering it was the place he died, he figured he could be forgiven for the fear that settled over him as they stepped inside.  The other vampires gave him a wide berth, either sensing his unease or simply letting him get acclimatized.  He could hear everyone in the building, moving around in a way that would have been silent to him only a day before. So many of them, all connected by their need for blood and lives spent in eternal night. 

“You can sleep here tonight,” Raphael said, stepping aside to let Simon into a room.  Nothing stood out about the room, about as simple as one couLd get.  Aside from the casket that lay in the center of the room, that is.  Simon’s eyes widened, an unspoken question hanging between them.  “Yes, you will sleep in a casket tonight.  Trust me when I say that as terrifying as it sounds, this will be much more comfortable for you.  It locks from the inside so no one can get in without your permission and absolutely no light will get through, so no matter what happens over the course of the day, you will be safe.” 

“What could happen?” He didn’t mind the fear in his voice now.  It seemed completely reasonable now that the fact of his own death stared him directly in the face.  As if climbing out of his grave wasn't enough. 

Raphael shrugged, “Nothing has ever happened before but always better to be safe.  You will develop a healthy fear of the sun very soon, and anything that can protect you from it will be your favorite thing in the world.”  He glanced toward the covered window and what he saw, Simon could only guess.  “The sun will be up soon.  Better get in now and try to sleep. Tomorrow I will answer any other questions you have.”

When the casket shut and he was cast into darkness, Simon experienced a few minutes of absolute terror.  Climbing from the grave was scary now that he looked back on it but at the time, he was so focused on his thirst that he didn’t have a chance to really consider what he was doing.  As he lay in the casket, shaking with fear, he took in several deep (though unnecessary) breaths and allowed himself to relax.  He could do this, he told himself as the sun came up and he fell into the sleep of the dead.

The next evening he woke with a start, banging his head on the lid of the coffin as he tried to sit up.  The panic set in once more until he remembered what Raphael said.  It latched from the inside and despite the dark, Simon could see the fasteners just fine.  Once he opened the casket, his heart rate returned to normal.  “Buenos Dias,” Raphael smirked from the doorway.  “I was beginning to think you would never get up.  Though, the first day is always the longest.”

A change of clothes waited for him and Raphael left him alone to get changed.  While not his style, Simon admitted that he looked good.  His glasses and been lost somewhere along the way; either at the hospital (where Raphael admitted to taking him in the hope of saving his mortal life) or at the grave lost in the dirt for what might as well be forever.   “Raphael, am I allowed to leave the hotel?” Simon called from where he was changing.  “There is something I would like to do tonight.”

The moment Simon told Raphael his idea, the elder vampire jumped all over him.  “Absolutely not!  You’ve been a vampire for one day and you want to go there?  Are you looking for a blood bath because that is what you are going to get.  You don’t have the control.  Maybe in a year.  Not tonight.”

Letting Raphael rant, Simon sat back and listened before giving him a shrug.  “Fine, don’t come.  I’m not doing anything else until I know that Clary is alright.”  A battle of wills followed, the two vampires staring at each other before Raphael finally gave in, though he wasn’T sure why.  He didn’t even like this new fledgling.  Why would he care if his friend was alright or not?

“If you are doing this, you need to drink a lot before we go.  There will be so many bodies, hearts pounding.  The temptation is going to be overwhelming.  You cannot give into it, no matter how much you might want to.  IT reflects on the whole clan, not just you.  Camille got exiled for attacking you and I would not hesitate to do the same to you if it came down to it.”

“You can count on me.  I won’t do anything you don’t want.  Give me all the blood.  I will drink anything you want.  Just let me go to the club tonight.  Clary and Maureen were supposed to meet me there and while I know Maureen will be concerned as well, Clary is my best friend.  As long as I know she is okay and Camille didn’t go after her, then I will be a good little vampire and follow all the rules from here on out.”

Raphael's sighed, eyes rolled toward the heaven.  “The first rule is you are not allowed to talk anywhere near me for the next decade.  Dios mio, you never stop.”  And Simon didn’t stop, chatting Raphael’s ear off the entire way to Pandemonium.  As they stepped inside, Raphael said softly, though loud enough to be heard by a vampire’s ears, “This club is owned by a warlock, who is a friend of mine.  They serve all Downworlders here so the first thing we are going to do is go to the bar and get you a drink.  Then we can find your friend.”

He started to ask a question before Simon realized what Raphael was telling him.  “They serve blood here?  I’ve been coming her for months with my friends.  I never noticed anything strange.”

“That’s because you were a mundane,” Raphael explained, pushing him through the crowd to the bar. “You didn’t have the Sight, and even if you did, most mundane so simply dismiss anything that looks strange or out of place in their minds.”

“So it’s rather like we use the Force on ourselves?  _These are not the vampires you seek_ kind of thing?”

Sighing heavily, Raphael rolled his eyes once more.  “Sure.  Come on, you need to drink something if only to keep your mouth busy with something other than words.”

The bartender Maia smiled at them, “Raphael, the usual?”  To which Raphael nodded.  “And, Simon?”

“Hi, Maia.  You work here so you know about all the weird stuff?” Turning to Raphael, he explained, “Maia and I used to date for awhile.”

“One date, Simon.  And yes, I know about the weird stuff.  She pulled the collar of her shirt to the side to show him the large scars on her neck.  “I am the weird stuff.”

Simon stared, “Have you always had those?  How did I not notice?”

Raphael rolled his eyes, “For as much as you talk, you certainly don’t listen.  I told you, mundane so are stupid and don’t see anything.  Now that you are a vampire, you can see things you wouldn’t have otherwise.  Maia here is one of New York’s werewolves.  And one of the few I can stand to be around.”

“Likewise, Raphael.  So, vampire, Simon?  When did that happen?”  Maia was pouring them two drinks as she spoke, arranging some different vegetables into the cups to make it look like bloody Mary's instead of just blood.

“Um, last night?”

“And you are here?  Raphael, what are you thinking?”  She slid the two glasses to the men. 

Taking a long drink, Raphael sighed.  “He talked until I lost all sense and agreed to this.  I’m keeping an eye on him.  Once he finds his friend we are out of here.  Bane never needs to know.”

“Clary?  She was dancing last I checked.”  Maia nodded in the direction of the dance floor before turning back to the two vampires. “I don’t think you should talk to her, Si.  You aren’t going to be able to explain things.  And if you slip, the boss is going to have my head, no matter what Raphael says.”

“I know.  I just need to know she’s okay.  Then I promise I would leave and stop talking for ten years.”

Maia laughed, "Good luck with that.”

She went off to help another customer and Simon turned to look at his friend in the distance.  “That red hair?  That’s Clary.”  Simon glanced at Raphael who wasn’t paying any attention.  “You aren’t even looking!”

“No, that’s because the doctor who tried to save you last night is sitting on the other side of the bar and is staring at you. You died on her table.  She can’t be seeing you.  We need to go.”

Simon stared in the direction of Raphael’s gaze, eyes going wide when they fell upon the doctor.  “Oh man, she’s hot.   Wish I hadn't died in front of her.  I would totally ask her out.”

“And she would _totally_ say no.”  Raphael’s mocking tone did nothing to dampen Simon’s enthusiasm. 

“We would have had babies that were hot and smart.  And that’s just from her side.  I’d teach them all about pop culture and…”

Raphael grabbed him by the shoulder, pushing him onto the bar stool, “Stay here.” 

Simon watched, confused, as Raphael made his way over to the woman.  She looked amused but the taller man (her boyfriend, maybe?) who joined them did not.  Whatever Raphael was saying did not make the man very happy and Simon hurried over to get Raphael and get out of there.  For all his warnings about Simon, it looked as if Raphael would make a scene instead.

“Raphael, let’s go.  This wasn’t a good idea.”  Not because Simon felt guilty about checking on Clary.  He would do it again in a heartbeat.  But Raphael was obviously upset by them running into the doctor and Simon knew it wasn’t her fault the older vampire was the surliest man in the world.  Turning to the man and woman, he gave a small smile.  “I’m sorry if he was bothering you.”  Maybe if they go out of here quickly, the doctor wouldn’t recognize him and they could all go one with their lives as if this never happened.

“What is going on?” Even without the direct question, something about the voice drew Simon’s eyes to him.  Everything seemed to slow down, like in those cheesy romance movies his sister liked to watch.   “You!”  Even though he had never seen the blond in front of him before in his life, Simon knew him.  Flashes of memories; things he had seen as his life came to an end, particularly those multicolored eyes.  Even as he died, Simon knew this man in front of him was important. 

“I… I know you,” he stuttered, before grinning brightly.  In his excitement, Simon’s fangs popped out, glinting in the bright lights of the club.

Simon knew a conversation was going on around them but he only had eyes for the beautiful blond in front of him.  “Hello,” he grinned.  “My name’s Lewis.  Simon Lewis.  Two first names.”

“Hi Simon,” the man grinned back at him.  “I’m Jace.  You’re my soul mate.”

“Cool.”  Looking at the model-like man in front of him, Simon knew he hit the soul mate jackpot. 

Okay, maybe death was better than life after all.


	2. Sunlight and Shadows

There were only a few things Simon could think of to make his life even better.  Clary to remember their friendship.  His mother to have  _ not _ seen him drinking from a rat.  Jace’s angry brother’s constant glares somehow becoming a thing of the past.  

But, when it came down to it, Simon’s life was pretty good, especially considering he’d died a week before that.  He had a beautiful boyfriend, a decent clan leader who tolerated him it seemed.  The love of his life was as immortal as he was so he would never need to worry about being left behind.  

While he knew the sun was going to come up soon, Simon wasn’t feeling tired.  Probably because of the soft, warm lips against his neck.  “Good morning,” he felt more than heard, Jace licking where his pulse should have been.  “Shouldn’t you be going to sleep soon?”

“Uhhh,” came his articulate reply.  One could never call Simon a morning person, even when it now occurred at the end of his day instead of the beginning.  “You should stop,” he mumbled, half-heartedly pushing Jace away when that was truly the last thing he really wanted.  “I haven’t eaten and I don’t want to hurt you.  If I do, Alec may follow through on his threats to actually kill me.  For good, not just what Camille did.  So, I’ll go eat and then we can sleep next to each other before you have to go.  You do have to work do you?”

Simon felt lied to.  In movies, vampires were always suave, sophisticated, debonair.  And yet, he still babbled incessantly and made a fool of himself, particularly in front of the one person he wished to impress more than any other.  However, the way Jace smiled at him even when he couldn’t stop talking gave Simon hope that maybe Jace would love him despite all his flaws.  

“I have today off so Alec said I have to stay here and clean the house.  And no, you don’t have to leave.  You could, you know, just eat here.”  

“No, I’ll go back to the hotel and get blood.  It’s okay.  Jace, as beautiful as your sister is, I’m terrified of her so I think that is a terrible plan.  And don’t even get me started on the grumpy one.  Is he always like that?  Doesn’t matter, I think his blood would be really unpleasant and I don’t want my mouth anywhere near him because I think he might actually rip my head off.”  Taking a deep breath, Simon gave him an apologetic smile.  “And I love you.  I don’t want to hurt you.”

Simon’s eyes went wide when he said the words and he bit his lip, fangs digging in slightly as he worried.  Was it too soon to say that?  Would he frighten Jace?  Should he have kept that thought to himself?  Simon lost himself to his anxiety so completely that he didn’t even notice the smile on Jace’s face until his boyfriend cupped his cheek and kissed him softly.  “I love you too, Si.  And you aren’t going to hurt me.  You need to eat.  I have what you need.  Just take it.  I trust you.”

Gently, Jace guided Simon’s face toward his neck, tipping it to the side to let him have access.  He could smell the blood, feel the pulse as intimately as if it was his own.  “Are you sure?” he asked, even as he ran his nose along Jace’s skin.  

“Of course.  Just drink already.”

Steeling himself, Simon gave a quick nod and let his fangs sink into the delicate skin.  He could stop himself.  He wouldn’t hurt Jace.  Simon kept telling himself that again and again.  The blood flooded his mouth and he moaned, latching his lips around the wound and drinking deeply.

Raphael told him as a fledgling he would have little control and Simon saw how easy it would be to lose himself to the sensation.  The blood made him powerful. This immortal being put his entire life in Simon’s hands and he could just as easily kill him as pull away.  But this was Jace he was talking about, it was Jace’s blood in his mouth and Simon knew he would never do anything to harm the man in his arms.  

Jace, for his part, was enjoying himself if the sounds were anything to go by.  The moans went straight to Simon’s groin and he pressed himself closer to his lover as he took the last few pulls.  Finally, he released Jace’s neck and smiled at him, eyes dark and lips bloody.  “You’re spicy, you know that?  Like pepper or chilis.  Do you think it’s because of the fire?”

Laughing, Jace shook his head.  “You are the first person to ever drink my blood.  Maybe the first person to ever drink dragon blood.  But I suppose that would make sense.  Never thought about it before”  He lapsed into contemplative silence, eyes distant and Simon wondered briefly what he could be thinking about to bring about such an expression.  Finally, Jace shook his head and looked back at Simon.  “I rather liked you drinking from me.  It was erotic.”

“Erotic?  That’s the word you go with?”  Simon laughed and kissed him, leaving a slight tinge of blood on Jace’s lip.  “I suppose there is a reason vampires are considered romantic heroes but I’m pretty sure no one looks at me and thinks of me that way?”

Jace raised a brow, “Are you kidding?  Right now all I can think about it how it would feel for you to feed from me while we were having sex.  I don’t think anything could feel better than that but I would have to try it to find out.”

Grinning, Simon caught his lips in a kiss and conversation was lost.

It turned out, Jace was right.  Nothing would ever feel better than Simon’s teeth in his neck while in the throes of passion.

~  ~  ~  

They fell asleep like that, wrapped around each other in bed, both satisfied and sated.  Jace’s phone rang, pulling the golden dragon from his sleep.  “Wayland,” he answered, keeping one hand carefully around Simon’s shoulders while the vampire dozed on his chest.

“It’s too early and bright,” Simon grumbled, rolling away from the late evening sun that streamed through the window and pulling a blanket over his head.

“Jace, it’s Clary,” the voice on the other end said.  “Luke called with the address for the warlock mom was taking me to.  He’s in Brooklyn and according to Luke, he’s called something like the High Warlock or whatever so he made me promise to bring you and Simon with me.  Said the guy was dangerous and likely to demand a lot of money to even talk to us.  You’ll come, right?”  

Simon sat up, having heard the whole thing and nodded emphatically.  “Yeah, we’ll be there.  Do you want us to meet you somewhere?”  He watched as Jace leaned over to the bedside table to jot down the address.  “Alright Clary, we’ll meet you there.”

He hung up the phone and turned back to Simon with a sad smile.  “Sorry, babe, but we’ve got to get up.”  Simon understood though he would have been happy to stay in bed with his soul mate for the next few hours. 

“I know but like, two more minutes?”  He didn’t move just yet, content to lay there.  He knew Clary would go right in whether they were there or not but the sun felt warm against his skin and....

Wait.

Sun?

He jumped up, propelling himself against the far wall and checking to see how badly he was burned.  Jace by his side in a minute.  “By the Angel, Simon.  How?” 

Simon shook his head.  It didn’t make sense.  Not one mark blemished his skin.  The sun didn’t hurt him at all.  “I don’t know.”  Moving slowly, he stuck his hand in front of the window, seeing his skin in the sunlight for the first time in over a week.  “But, I’m okay.  See?  Just fine.”  He thought he might have had a heart attack if his heart was still functional but he could be brave.     
The sun was almost down and they really did need to get going before Clary got herself killed.  “Jace, it’s okay.  We need to get Clary’s memories back and I’m not letting you guys go see this all-powerful warlock without me.  We can deal with this later”  The thought of losing Jace so soon hurt his unbeating heart and Simon was getting dressed in the blink of an eye.  “I’ve only met one warlock but he was really nice.  He’s Raphael’s dad or something which I didn’t understand but Raphael calls him Papa and the warlock scolds him all the time.  He’s really cool.  And glittery.  I’ve never seen a man who wore glitter and makeup before.  I liked it.”

“Should I be jealous?” Jace teased, following Simon out of bed at a slower pace.  Simon could hear his heartbeat slowly returning to normal.  “Sounds like you might have a thing for the guy?”

Simon wrinkled his nose, “Uh, no.  He’s nice and good looking but he’s a little scary and Raphael’s dad.  Both those things disqualify him.  Plus, I have you.”  He pressed a kiss to Jace’s lips.  “How could I look at another when you are there beside me?”

“You are right.  I really am that good looking.”

“And modest too,” Simon offered, spitting out his tongue at his boyfriend.

Jace laughed and pulled him close as soon as they were both dressed.  “You love it.  Who else can say they have this beautiful of a mate?”

Simon smirked, “Clary?  Have you seen your sister?”

Groaning, Jace picked Simon up and threw him over his shoulder.  “Okay, that’s it.  You think some warlock is hot and my sister.  I’m going to have to prove to you I’m the only hot one you can appreciate.”

Laughing loudly, Simon shook his head, “I can look all I want.  I have no interest in touching though.  Besides, pretty sure Raphael would have my head if I touched his Papa.”

“No one is touching your pretty face.”

“Aw, you think I’m pretty?”

Jace rolled his eyes and set the vampire on his feet.  “Can you stay quiet for a few minutes while I call Alec and tell him where we are going?”  He took Simon’s hand in one hand and had his phone in the other, heading in the direction of the subway with Simon happily following behind.  As Jace pulled up Alec’s contact, Simon tried to imagine an eternity like this and found it quite easy.  All he had to do was being happy forever and this, right here, was it.

“Hey man,” Jace started, and Simon shook his head, having heard the rude way Alec answered the phone for his brother.  He didn’t understand the taller man.  He just seemed so...angry.  Though, what Jace had told them about his family, maybe Simon could understand.  He’d be pretty pissed off if almost everyone I loved was murdered as well.  He listened in on the conversation, wondering if Alec would be joining them.  “So Luke called Clary.  He found the name and address of the warlock who took Clary’s memories.  He thinks this guy might know something about her mom’s disappearance.  We’re all on the way over there to confront him now.  You want to meet us there?  It’s in Brooklyn someplace.”

Pleasantly surprised to hear that Alec didn’t want to lose him - he wasn’t eavesdropping, vampires just had really good hearing! - Simon smiled at Jace as the other pocketed his phone, a frown pulling at his features.  “It will be alright.  I’m sure the four of us can handle it.  No need to involve him.”

Jace still looked troubled, “But it isn’t like Alec to just let us go without insisting on being there with us.  I think something is wrong with him.  Once we get done here, I want to go track him down and make sure he’s okay.”   
“You’re a good brother.  I’m sure he appreciates you looking out for him.”

“See!  You understand!  He doesn’t get it.  It’s fine for him to watch out for us but the moment we try and do the same, we’re being overbearing and nosy.”  Of course, Jace and Izzy were usually trying to get him laid but it was for his own good!

The girls were waiting for them when they got off the train and the four of them walked toward a rather unassuming building in Brooklyn.  “Are you sure this is the place?” Simon asked, looking up at the apartment building.  “It looks like someplace you would go to visit an aging aunt, not some all powerful supernatural being.”   
“It’s the address Luke gave me, so come on.”

The elevator ride to the penthouse was tense, the four of them lost to their own thoughts.  Simon figured the other three were thinking about what they were about to do but for him, his mind focused on the sun that evening.  In theory, he’d been sleeping in the sun all day without getting burned.  He’d have to talk to Raphael later.

Finally, arriving on the top floor, Jace pounded on the door to the loft.  When no answer came, he pounded again.  “What is with this guy?  There is no way the place is that big that he couldn’t hear that.”

“Maybe he’s out?  Or busy?” Simon offered just as the door opened.  

Dumbstruck, everyone stared at the man on the other side.  

“Do you think pounding on the door like that is really the best way to make a first impression?  You should be glad he doesn’t have any neighbors on this floor,” Alec snapped at them.  

Simon grinned.  While the other dragon was far from his favorite person, he knew it would make Jace happy that he came.  He turned to his boyfriend, “I thought you said Alec wasn’t coming! Nice to see you.  What are you doing here?  Did you know we are meeting a warlock?”   _ Of course, he had, Lewi _ s, Simon kicked himself.  He’d heard Jace tell him that on the phone.

“Yes, I had heard that somewhere before.  I’m guessing you don’t know the warlock’s name or Izzy would have called me.”  They followed him in, confused.  Whatever was going on, it seemed Jace’s brother was involved.  And no matter how important he was to Simon’s newfound family, if he was involved in hurting Clary, Simon would kill him.

But not yet.  Not before they had answers.  And when the other man walked into the room, things started to fall into place.


	3. Training and Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set directly after the events of [Ch 22 of Dragon's Heart](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10438524/chapters/26709537)

“If you insist on being there, you need to be prepared.  I’m not going to lose you now that I finally found you because you have an over inflated sense of your fighting skills.”  Simon started to argue but Jace silenced him with a look.  “I saw what happened yesterday with Valentine.  What would I do if something happened to you?”

Simon admitted he’d been terrified when faced with a dragon who wanted him dead instead of one that welcomed him into the family like he belonged all along.  For the first time since he died, Simon felt real fear.  He didn’t know if he could even do anything that might have helped but he wanted to be useful and he wouldn’t leave Jace while his boyfriend was in danger.  Watching Jace and the people he’d come to consider friends and family fight but being unable to do anything help them was a feeling Simon never wanted again.  

“Nothing will happen to me, Jace.  I already died once.  I won’t let it happen again.”  Maybe if he sounded confident, he would be confident the next time they found themselves fighting for their lives.  If Valentine had realized what a weak link Simon was, it could have been over far too quickly.  

Of all places, Jace brought him to the lot outside Clary’s own home, something that stirred nostalgia in the young vampire who looked with longing at the fire escape.  “I used to climb that to visit Clary.  Jocelyn used to joke that Clary and I would get married someday.  I used to hate it because I thought I loved Clary and I didn’t want her to know.”  Sighing, Simon sat on the ground leaning against the building and looking up.  “But Jocelyn wasn’t telling the truth.  She took Clary away from me so we couldn’t even say goodbye.  I wonder how many other people that happened to.  Five hundred years is a long time to be running away from something.”

Jace sat next to him, wrapping an arm around his lover and kissing the top of his head.  “I loved Clary too.  There’s something about her that draws people in.  Except for Alec, but he doesn’t like anyone.”

“He likes Magnus and you guys.”

“Yes, well, he’s stuck with us and he’s been waiting for Magnus for a long time.  He was the one most devastated when we thought we’d lost all our own kind because he thought he would never have a chance at what he has now.  He pushed all his hopes and dreams aside to make sure Iz and I were safe.  He’s the biggest self-sacrificing idiot I’ve ever met, and I love him as if we shared the same soul.  I can’t be upset when I see the way he and Magnus look at each other.  He’s wanted it for so long and now he finally has it.”

They both fell silent and Simon considered that maybe having lost what you always wanted before you even had it might have helped make Alec the way he was.  His mind still focused on that when Jace started talking about Clary again.  “But like I was saying, I loved Clary too.  I even had a ring and planned to marry her.  But, I was stationed at Pearl Harbor.  It was where we met.  And when it was bombed, I was right there. There was no way I could have survived when every single man around me perished.  So, I had to stay dead.  I left Hawaii and Clary and my life behind and hid in rural Canada if you can believe it until the war was over and Alec and Izzy came home.”

The story was fascinating and Simon wanted to hear more but the point was getting lost somewhere and he stared at Jace, bafflement written all over his face.  “The point is, Jocelyn would have done the same to me that she did to you if I hadn’t died.  And maybe she was going to let Clary say goodbye.  You were dead, remember?  I just don’t think we can judge Jocelyn too harshly until we know the full story.”

“That,” Simon said, brows furrowed, “was one of the most thoughtful, well-spoken things I have heard you say.  Are you sure you aren’t Luke wearing Jace’s face?”

Jace frowned, face pinched like he’d bitten into something bitter and unpleasant.  “On second thought, go ahead and fight the dragon all on your own.  It might be better for everyone that way.”  Though as soon as the words were out of his mouth, his expression softened.  “I do, on occasion, have a clear and coherent point.  You can’t always listen to what the others tell you about me.”

Laughing, Simon pulled him into an embrace, their lips only a breath apart.  “Yes, Clary was telling me you were once in a book club.”  His laughter only got louder as Jace sputtered and choked, pulling away from him.

“God damn it, Alec.  He has the biggest mouth.”

“I’m sure Magnus appreciates it.”  

Jace groaned, running his hand through his hair.  “Enough about my brother’s sex life.  I don’t want to hear it.  I don’t want to think about it.  It doesn’t happen as far as I am concerned.  Focus, Simon.  We need you to be able to protect yourself.  I won’t lose you.”

A warmth blossomed in Simon’s cold chest and he pulled Jace in for a kiss, their lips slotting together as if they were made for each other.  Which he supposed they might have been.  “You won’t lose me.  You and, we are forever.  Now, dragon, why don’t you show me how to fight.”

Jace stepped back, and let his magic blossom, a sound like thunder rumbled through the lot, the trees quaking all around them, and the next moment a golden dragon stood where his soul mate once stood.  

“Jace,” Simon hissed, “you can’t do that here!  We’re in the middle of Brooklyn.  Someone will see you!”

A deep laugh echoed in Jace’s chest and he leaned forward to bump his nose against Simon’s hand.  “No, they won’t.  You saw it at the fight with Valentine, the mundanes looked right past us.  They were scared, yes, but they didn’t see dragons.  To be honest, I don’t know what they see when they look at us but it doesn’t matter.  Honestly, right now, they probably just see a brightly lit lot with some nerd standing in the middle of it talking to himself.”

Simon wasn’t convinced and it was obvious even to Jace, who sighed and rolled his eyes upwards.  “Also, Magnus put wards around the loft so no one can get in or out without his permission.  This place is completely protected and under the care of the High Warlock of Brooklyn.  Does that make you feel better?”

“It does!  Thank you.”  Kissing Jace on the nose, Simon grinned.  “Alright, so are you going to attack me?  I’d rather not have to hurt you and I would really prefer you not burn me to a crisp.”

Jace stepped back, stretching out his wings and taking to the air, hovering a few feet above the ground.  “No one is getting hurt.  I just want to see how you move and see if there is anything we can use to keep you safe and make you helpful in a fight.  Because whether we like it or not, we are probably going to have to go up against Valentine again.  We can’t let him go, not after what he did to our families.  The man needs to die and it is going to come to a head sooner rather than later.”

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Simon could understand that.  When his dad died, he’d wanted revenge so badly.  But there was nothing he could do.  Car accidents happen and no one was at fault besides a slippery road and some poor traction.  But, if there had been someone he could have fought, something he could have done to avenge his father, he would have jumped at the chance in a heartbeat.

So with that understanding, Simon nodded.  “Alright, Jace.  What do you want me to do?” a question that seemed to confuse the dragon for a moment until Simon realized he was thinking.  If his strong, capable soul mate couldn’t figure out how to train Simon, what hope was there?

“I’m going to come at you,” Jace said finally.  “Your strength is in your speed.  You are small and with your vampire reflexes, you should be able to get away if nothing else.  We can’t change directions on a dime in this form, particularly when we are on the ground.  You have the advantage and you need to know how to use it.”

Simon tried to understand what Jace was saying but before he completely processed everything, Jace lunged for him teeth bared.  Simon dove to the side, cutting it close enough to feel the hot breath of his mate on his face as he jumped out of the way.  Glaring at Jace, Simon darted to the side.  “Dude!  You almost killed me!”

“No, I didn’t.  You aren’t concentrating.  Focus, Simon.  I won’t kill you but Valentine will.”  Jace fell silent, turning and snapping at Simon once more.

Simon, for his part, had started to catch on and danced from side to side, using his vampire speed to avoid every swipe and bite.  “Okay, so I can avoid being killed,” Simon laughed, jumping over Jace and grinning when his boyfriend looked confused for a brief moment.  “But that doesn’t mean I can be helpful.”

Dodging one more swipe of his boyfriend’s powerful jaws, Simon leaned against the far wall and waited for Jace to answer him.  “Because I’m not helpless and I’m not going to sit around and do nothing, Jace.  So teach me to protect myself and you.  That is what matters to me, not just staying alive.”  He sighed, “Staying alive means nothing if I lose you in the process.”

The air grew heavy and with a snap, Jace stood in front of him once more, crossing the distance between them and pulling Simon into a tight hug.  “You won’t lose me.”  Simon pressed his face to Jace’s neck, breathing deeply and delighting in the shudder he felt go through his lover.  “I’m stuck with you forever, Simon, whether I like it or not.”

“Don’t strain yourself with the romance, Jace,” Simon mumbled, though even with his face hidden, he knew Jace could hear his smile.  “That still doesn’t answer my question.  What can I do to help?”  Fighting dragons with dragons seemed to be the only real way to stop Valentine.  Simon supposed Magnus’ magic would be useful but his own skills were so limited to almost be pathetic.

Jace sighed, “I’m going to tell you something that not many people know.  Something we don’t want people to know because it puts us all at risk.  But I trust you and I know the rest of my family does too.”  

Holding up his hand, Jace’s talons grew from the tops of his fingers.  “These, and our teeth, are the only way to kill a dragon.  They are the only thing strong enough to pierce our hide.  When Valentine had our family murdered, the humans who did it for him used dragon claws and teeth that had been fashioned into weapons.  We could never figure out where they found them as they are something we guard with our lives.  But it seems Valentine had been collecting them and gave them to the people who came to our homes and massacred everyone.”  

His talons retracted, replaced with regular finger nails.  “Because they are the one way to kill us, we have saved all of the ones we have shed over the years.  It is for our own safety that we don’t let anyone get their hands on the only weapon that could take us from this world.  Unlike our scales which are beautiful but useless once off our bodies, our teeth and claws must be protected at all costs.”  Jace met Simon’s eyes, “Alec won’t like it - and I can’t say I do either - but I’d like to make you a weapon of sorts.  With your speed, you might be able to get a hit in that the rest of us cannot.  We should also make one for Magnus.  I don’t know if magic can harm us or not so it would be good for him to have something as well.”

When he finished talking, Simon was dumbfounded.  The fact that Jace had shared his family’s most guarded secret was not lost on him.  Just when he thought he couldn’t love Jace anymore, his lover proved him wrong again.  “Are you sure?” he heard himself asking.  “I used to trip a lot.  What if I trip and hurt one of you?  I don’t want to do anything that might hurt my family.  Because that would be hard to explain and all that.”

Rolling his eyes, Simon could see the fond exasperation that seemed to account for a good deal of the looks Jace gave him.  “It’s not like you are going to be carrying it around all the time.  We’ll make it so Magnus can summon it for you or something.  But, I’ve never seen you trip which makes me think this was a thing for you before you became a vampire.  Remember who you are now, Simon.  Embrace it and make it work for you.  I know you can do this.”

The sincerity of those words, the knowledge that Jace believed in him even when Simon himself did not, gave him confidence.  He grinned and spun them around so now it was Jace pinned against the wall.  Simon wasted no time kissing him, their tongues fighting for dominance while hands tugged at their clothes.  “I think,” Jace smirked against his lips, “that we’ve had enough training for the day.”  

Simon nodded, agreeing readily and the two hurried home, needing the privacy of their room now.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Associated with chapters 30 and 31 of [Dragon's Heart](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10438524/chapters/23047899). Would make more sense to read those first. :)

****

After Jocelyn woke up, Simon was able to put the horror of the past few hours out of his mind.  They spent the time getting her caught up with everything that happened over the time she was asleep.  He didn’t miss the sadness in her eyes when he told her he’d become a vampire but as always, Jocelyn was supportive.  

When Simon came out as pansexual, it took his family by surprise.  Explaining that he was not sexually attracted to kitchen ware was the worst part but eventually his mother and sister accepted him.  His father, however, did not.  He’d left the family when his mother gave him an ultimatum; love and support Simon like he’d always done or leave.  Simon didn’t know if it was much of a surprise to anyone when he walked out.  But he carried the guilt for breaking up his family ever since, regardless.

After that, he did his best to be as good a son as he could.  His mother deserved that, so he was there for her during her alcoholism.  He was there for her during her recovery.  He went to school for accounting, even though he hated it, just so he would be able to help support her the way she had always supported him.  

There were days when Simon thought he would never make it, never be good enough compared to the vision of what he was supposed to be that he had in his head.  And on those days, Jocelyn was there.  She had kind words, and a shoulder to cry on.  She assured Simon that his mother loved him no matter what he studied or who he loved.  While he never quite believed her, they were things he needed to hear nevertheless.

Simon loved her like she was another mother.  And since he’d lost his own only a week prior, having Jocelyn back was a blessing.

Simon dated a few people, most recently his friend and bandmate Maureen.  The night he was changed into a vampire, he’d been with Maureen at some bar they’d found while wandering the streets after a gig.  The Hunters Moon seemed like a low-key place, a place where they could get a drink, play some pool, and have a few laughs. And at first, that was what happened.  But then, two men came over, challenging them to a game.  Simon didn’t know if they slipped something into their drinks, or if they’d encantoed him.  All he knew was that the next thing he remembered was crawling out of his own grave to find Raphael waiting for him.

He discovered the next night that they found Maureen dead in an alley not far from her house.  Simon was never found but the amount of blood at the scene led them to tell his mother he was most likely dead.  The couple nights he’d spent at Hotel du Mort after his change, Simon read every newspaper he could, wondering if he would ever be able to go home and tell his mother he was safe.  But he knew he couldn’t.  He couldn’t drag her into this world, especially since he himself didn’t understand it just yet.

Raphael had been dead set against taking him to Pandemonium that night, but Simon had to see that Clary was okay, even if he couldn’t talk to her.  And he did see her, she looked fine, if a little frazzled.  It was someone else who caught his eye, however.  A beautiful blond man with multi-colored eyes and a cocky smile that endeared Simon as much as annoyed him.

The moment he met Jace, Simon felt like everything in his life had been leading up to it.  They probably wouldn’t have met if he never became a vampire.  He wouldn’t still have Clary in his life, as her mother was in the process of taking her away from him and everything they’d shared together.  He wouldn’t have found a family that loved him, even if they found him a bit annoying, and he would have lived a life, doing a job he hated to please someone who probably just wanted him to be happy. 

Life with Jace was effortless.  They fit together perfectly and Simon understood why Jace said they were soul mates.  While he once thought Clary was the one for him, he now realized she was more of a sister, an official one now.  

Him and Jace could laugh over everything.  Whether it was watching bad movies or while they were in bed together, everything was better when Jace was there. 

Jace gave him back the sun, in every way possible.

So when Valentine took him away, Simon was plunged back into eternal darkness once more.  

Simon knew the rest of them were trying to help.  He could see how much Jace’s absence hurt Alec in particular and while he wanted to help him, Simon felt too lost in his own grief to be able to help anyone else through theirs.  

The moment Jace stepped through that portal, his eyes still locked on Simon’s, the only thing he could remember saying was no.  Softly, sobbed, screamed.  Every possible way he could say the word he did.  Because Jace couldn’t be gone.  The dragons had told him too many stories.  He’d heard everything Valentine did to their kind and then Jace walked off with him.  That could not be what happened because why would Jace leave him behind?  Alec held him back from going after Jace, something Simon might never forgive him for.  Because if Jace never came back, Simon faced an eternity without him by his side.  A Jace sized hole in his life that would never be filled.

Alec and Izzy might have lost their brother when Jace disappeared but they both still had their mates, the people who would stay with them forever.  Simon, by contrast, had lost the one person who was supposed to give his life meaning.  

And it pissed him off.  He wanted to scream and yell, to tell Jace just how hurt it made him that his boyfriend thought he would be okay if he just left with a homicidal dragon.  Why did his soul mate think this would be okay?  Had Jace thought about him at all?  Simon knew, deep down, that he had but it didn’t make him feel any better.  

All he wanted was Jace back.  Simon would do anything to get him.  He would sell his soul if that was what it took.  Perhaps he no longer had a soul but he had to assume he did if he had a soul mate.  SImon vowed he would get that soul mate back.  He even briefly considered offering Valentine Isabelle since he wanted Clary’s soul mate, not his, but he discarded that idea as quickly as it came on.  He loved Izzy like a sister already and he would never do that to Clary.

Besides, Alec would kill him and Jace would be furious.

By the time everyone went to bed, Simon was feeling better about being a vampire but nothing Jocelyn said could make up for Jace’s absence.  What would normally be the comforting sounds of the heartbeats and slow breaths of the people he loved began to suffocate him.  Because every single person in the loft was curled up with the person they loved.  Simon felt certain if he went out on the balcony, he would even find the stray cats Magnus liked to feed sleeping in pairs.  The world flaunted love in his face at every turn, now that it had been stolen from him.  

Simon wondered if being a vampire was a good thing or not in this situation when his sadness wore him down, left him sitting on the couch, unmoving and staring at nothing for hours.  Without breath, without blinking, he sat still as a statue, wallowing in the feeling of loss that threatened to drown him.  

When everyone reconvened and came up with their plan to get Jace back, Simon stayed mostly quiet.  He wanted to trade himself for Jace.  If he couldn’t have Jace in his arms, then Simon wanted his boyfriend to have freedom.  He was beautiful and confident.  He had a family that loved and supported him.  If something were to happen to Simon, Jace would be okay.  Maybe not immediately but eventually, he would learn to move on.  

Jace’s happiness was what mattered and Simon would do anything to ensure it. 

Of course, he knew Jace wouldn’t approve of that plan.  He knew Jace would be furious if he had any idea what Simon was thinking in that moment.  So when everyone shot him down, Simon accepted it.  He still wanted to go through with it, but it was better to do it in the heat of the moment when he might be able to surprise everyone. 

Nothing went the way Simon wanted it to. The madman laughed in his face and then, when Clary finally admitted that Jace wasn’t her soul mate, Valentine threatened to kill Jace since he  _ wasn’t needed _ .  As if Simon’s whole world wouldn’t crumple if that were to happen. He wanted to stay and fight, he would use his dying breath to help protect Jace.  But he’d have been blind to miss the silent conversations, both between Alec and Jace, and Alec and Magnus.  While he wanted to fight, he knew there was no point as Magnus pulled him through a portal.

They’d talked about it.  This had been the plan if nothing went right.  But watching Magnus stand there, shoulders tense and eyes glistening, and throw a ball of magic at the ship, Simon felt all hope slip away.  When the ship went up in flames, Magnus visibly deflated and walked back to Simon.  

“Come on, Simon.  Let’s go home and wait for them.  Raphael and Ragnor are there already.”  

Because that was all they could do.  Wait and hope they hadn’t just killed the loves of their lives.


	5. Chapter 5

The moment he heard the portal close, Simon barrelled into Raphael’s room.  “They aren’t going to break up, are they?” he asked, hardly realizing Ragnor was there too.  “Magnus and Alec can’t break up.  They’re soulmates.  If something could happen to them, it would mean something could happen between me and Jace.”  His panic was building as he paced around the room, blind to the exasperated look shared between the two other men sitting there.  

“Does he ever stop?” Ragnor sighed, moving to sit next to Raphael, who shook his head with a sigh.  “It’s like watching someone in fast forward.  Dear boy, take a breath and sit down.  You are exhausting to watch.”

“No, he doesn’t.”  Simon finally stopped pacing when Raphael spoke, eyes pleading as he looked at the elder vampire and mentor.  “Mijo, you need to relax  Your dragon loves you and you love him.  Nothing is going to change that, just like nothing is going to break up Magnus and his dragon.  They are having a fight, nothing more.  Couples do that sometimes.”

Ragnor laughed, “Remember when I went a year without speaking to you?  Magnus was so fed up with us he locked us in the same room until we would get along again.”

“I maintain that the suit you were wearing looked ridiculous and it would have been better as kindling for Bonfire Night than actually as clothing.”  Ragnor gave him an unimpressed look and Simon glanced towards the door, finally realizing he shouldn’t be interrupting this private moment between his mentor and boyfriend.  “But what I was saying, Simon is that you will be just fine.  Go to Jace and talk to him for yourself if it is really upsetting you.”

He nodded, looking between Ragnor and Raphael once more before taking off, running the whole way to the Lightwood apartment. Jace was probably worried about everything that happened.  As he approached, he could hear three strong heartbeats inside, and he knew Clary and Izzy were home as well.  Knocking, Simon fidgeted while he waited for someone to answer because no matter how many times Jace said he was welcome to just come in, it felt weird to Simon as if he were intruding into someone else’s home.  Particularly since Alec still technically lived there and Simon  _ really _ didn’t want to upset him.

“Simon,” Jace sighed as he opened the door and pulled him in.  “I told you just to come in.”  

“And I told you I don’t want to piss off your brother.  Especially not now.  If he yelled at his soulmate like that, then I certainly don’t want to be on the receiving end of his anger.  He’s terrifying.”

“Alec is a softie once you get to know him,” Jace shrugged, sitting on the couch and pulling Simon down with him.  “But it also means he gets hurt easier than any of us.  And I’m not talking about the stab wound but you know, emotionally.”  

Simon found that hard to believe.  Alec seemed like a hard candy that was hard all the way through.  Sure, he might be sweet if you got him in your mouth, but you could just as easily break a tooth as get a sugar high from him. He shuddered at the metaphor and the images it provided and turned back to his boyfriend, who he loved and would much prefer to have in his mouth.  “If you say so.  I don’t see it but you know him better than I do.”  

It was hilarious seeing the three siblings together.  Jace and Izzy looked nothing alike but Simon could easily see the similarities in personality.  Izzy and Alec looked very similar but couldn’t have been more different.  But he supposed that was how family was.  His mother and sister never understood him completely either but they loved him and he loved them.  That was what mattered.  

“Either way,” Simon continued.  “What are we going to do about Alec?  He’s obviously upset and Magnus is upset and shouldn’t we do something to fix it?”  Simon hated seeing the people he cared about in pain and somewhere along the way, both Magnus and Alec had joined that group.  

Jace looked pained, grimacing briefly.  “I don’t know what we can do.  Luke has been stuck like this forever.  If he hasn’t figured out a way to fix this in five hundred or more years, what makes you think we can figure it out in a day.”  He sighed, leaning to rest his head on Simon’s shoulder.  “It’s not that I don’t want to.  He’s my brother and seeing Alec in pain hurts me too.  I would do anything to help him.  But our hands are tied for now.  Maybe someday in the future, we will have a better option but right now, we just need to let him fume for a few hours and then try and adjust to this new reality.”

“I didn’t mean Alec’s problem.”  Obviously, that was something that was far beyond his capabilities to solve.  Sure, he hoped it would get worked out but that didn’t mean he would be the one to do it. Or even Jace, really.  “I meant the fact that Alec and Magnus aren’t speaking to each other.  The fact that Magnus disappeared into thin air from Hotel duMort and we don’t even know where Alec is right now.  Shouldn’t we do something to fix them?  Can we even do anything to fix them?”

It was obvious that Jace was thinking about this too because his shoulders drooped even more when Simon brought it up.  “We do know where Alec is, though.  I guarantee he’s at work.  That’s why I sent Luke there.  Hopefully, he can talk some sense into him so he doesn’t stay there all night going over the budgets or whatever it is he is doing.”  Simon could see it now, Alec falling asleep on a pile of paperwork just to avoid thinking about all the problems in his life.

And if there was anyone who could pull him out of it, it would be Luke.  Luke had been a father figure for Simon since the moment Jocelyn and Clary moved in.  He’d supported Simon through some low points and gave him tips on being a man that his mother just couldn’t offer.  Simon loved Luke and knew that there wasn’t anything the man couldn’t do if he put his mind to it.  “Luke is the best,” he sighed.  “I hope Alec is smart enough to listen to him.”

“Alec is angry, not stupid,” Jace pointed out.  “Despite how upset he is, he will see the wisdom of listening to the one man who has been through all this before.  And, you forget, I work with Luke.  I know what a great guy he is and Alec’s heard me talk about him for a couple years now.  He’ll know that Luke is a man you listen to.  And Luke won’t coddle him, which he will appreciate.  No, I know we made the right decision letting Luke be the one to talk to my brother.”

Simon, deciding to trust that Jace knew better than he did at the moment, simply nodded and lost himself in thought.  Alec would be fine, he reasoned.  He had his siblings with him who would support him no matter what.  He had Luke and Jocelyn, Clary and himself, who would be there for him too.  It would be a long road, but Alec would be okay.

It was more Magnus Simon was worried about. Raphael had told him a lot about Magnus’ past, about the people he’d loved who turned their back on him the moment it got hard.  No matter how he was acting, this had to be hurting him.  Yet another person he loved telling him he wasn’t good enough.  From what he’d overheard at the Hotel, Magnus was angry, yes, but he also blamed himself for everything that went wrong that day.  And it wasn’t his fault any more than it was Alec’s.  Simon hoped they could both see it and eventually learn to forgive each other and themselves. 

As Simon and Jace enjoyed a quiet moment, the peace was interrupted by both of their phones pinging with new messages.  Simon smiled, seeing one from Raphael.  

_ [received text; Raphael] Would you mind staying at Magnus’ loft for a few days?  He’s afraid Alec might return and he did something to the wards that wouldn’t let him enter without someone giving him permission. _

_ [received text; Raphael] In case you haven’t noticed, Magnus doesn’t do things by halves, particularly when he is angry. _

_ [received text; Raphael] Don’t bring Jace.  The wards are for all dragons, not just Alec. _

“Looks like I’m moving to Magnus’ place for a few days until he gets home or your brother makes an appearance.”  Simon stuck his phone back in his pocket after letting Raphael know he would do that and to let him know if anything changed.  “Can you handle things without me?”

Jace pretended to think for a moment before nodding, “Yeah, that’s fine.  Luke is with Alec and is taking him back to their place.  Jocelyn is making dinner and none of us are allowed to come by and see him.  Which I find rude, but whatever.”  Simon knew his soulmate well enough to see that he was up to something.

“Behave yourself and do what he says.  If Alec or Luke rip your head off, I will be pissed at you for the rest of eternity.”

Laughing at him instead of taking his threat seriously, Jace shrugged. “Of the two of us, which is more likely to get their head ripped off?  Because I am pretty sure it isn’t me.”  Sure, Simon understood what he was saying but really, he might talk too much but if Jace started butting in on something was far more likely to cause problems.

“Sure, whatever you say,” Simon sighed, laughing when Jace pushed him back onto the couch and crawled over him, stealing a quick kiss.  

“Whatever I say?  You certainly learn quickly, don’t you?  Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you aren’t smart.”

Simon sighed and shook his head, “Shut up.  Why do I even love you in the first place?”

Whether Jace didn’t have an answer or wished to offer him one without words, Simon didn’t know.  What he did know was that getting pushed back into the couch cushions and kissed to the point that he was thankful that he didn’t need to breathe was by far the best way for that encounter to end.  Only when Jace pulled back because he needed oxygen, did Simon grin up at him.  “You present a compelling argument.  I might need more convincing.”

Jace took his hand and dragged him to the bedroom, to convince him over and over again just why Simon loved him as much as he did.

Later on, when Jace and Izzy hatched a plan to bring Alec home, Simon bid his boyfriend goodbye with one more quick kiss and headed for Magnus’ loft.  While Raphael was specific that the wards were against dragons only, Simon still stood outside the door for a few minutes, trying to get up his courage to even risk it.  Raphael rarely led him wrong but he didn’t feel like getting thrown out onto the street because Raphael hadn’t understood Magnus’ instructions entirely.  

When he reached out to touch it, face scrunched as he looked away in fear of what would happen, Simon breathed a sigh of relief when his hand touched the door handle with no problem whatsoever.  He let himself and settled onto the couch, waiting to let in a dragon who may or may not be angry when he arrived.

Simon wondered briefly how this had become his life and only hoped his boyfriend’s brother wouldn’t kill him where he stood when Alec finally made his appearance.  Hopefully Luke and Jocelyn, then Izzy and Jace would be able to talk some sense into him so Simon wouldn’t end up roasted on Magnus’ foyer rug.

Not exactly the way Simon wanted to go.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Magnus and Alec getting married, it has Simon considering things like that as well.

“You don’t think I should do it?” Jace leaned back against the couch, fringe in his eyes as he stared at the ceiling.  “I think it is only right.  He needs to know.”

Strumming on his guitar, Simon laughed, “No, I don’t think you should do it.  No, it isn’t right.  And you and I both know that he already knows.  Stop whining and listen to me.  I’m wise.”

“Says the twenty-year-old vampire who hid behind the couch when we watched a horror movie last night.”  For once, being a vampire save Simon some embarrassment as he couldn’t blush, despite being ashamed of his behavior.  It wasn’t his fault that horror movies scared him, even if he now was basically something from a horror movie.  “I love you, Si, but wise you are not.”

“Because I am young?  I think you’re the one being an idiot here.  You’re a dragon, I get it, but that doesn’t mean Magnus couldn’t turn you into a pile of ash in a second if you upset him.  I’m just saying I think it is best not to get on his bad side.”  Because who goes up against an all-powerful warlock just to prove a point?  Simon sighed and turned back to the song he was working on, already knowing the answer.  Jace.  Jace was the type of person to go up against anyone, just to prove his own strength and worth.  “I would rather you not get yourself killed trying to avenge your brother’s honor or whatever idiotic idea this is.”

“All I want to do is let Magnus know that if he hurts Alec, I will kill him.  That’s not a threat, it’s a promise.”

“It’s both and you know it.  Don’t be an idiot and just let Magnus and Alec figure this out.  They’re two immortal beings getting married.  I think they understand the significance of that.  You don’t need to butt your head in just to prove a point.”

Jace glared at him and Simon smiled brightly back.  He was only looking out for his best interests after all.  If Jace managed to get himself killed, Simon would find a way to bring him back so he could kill him personally.  It was easier this way if he just stayed alive.  Then Alec didn’t have to live with the knowledge that his brother died being an idiot as well.  It saved everyone a lot of trouble when Jace just listened to them.  They knew better than he did and Simon didn’t understand why he couldn’t get that.  

"I don't understand why you would want to stop me from talking to Magnus.  I'm not going to threaten him."  It almost sounded as if Jace believed what he was saying and Simon could hardly hold back his eye roll at the thought.

"Jace, you literally said you wanted to tell him you would kill him if he ever broke Alec's heart.  How isn't that a threat?"

Jace shrugged, "It's just the truth.  If he wants to take that as a threat, that is on him, not me."

Simon sighed and shook his head, wondering if it would be possible for him to keep this stubborn dragon alive for all of eternity or who would crack first and take him out.  "And this is why I am telling you no.  You have no sense of self-preservation and if I have to be that part of your conscious for you, so be it.  I am not letting you die simply because you don't know when to shut up." 

"That’s ironic coming from you.  Besides, I was one of the best fighters back in Idris.  Alec and I are an unstoppable team.  Look what we did with Valentine." 

There were so many reasons to hate Valentine.  He'd hurt more people than Simon probably even knew in his lifetime.  And he knew deep down that Magnus would never actually hurt Jace, if only because Alec's soul was tied to him.  But it didn't stop him from worrying that someday soon, Jace would open his mouth at the wrong time and find his head disconnected from his body.  "How your siblings lived with you for so long, I don't know."

"Because they love me," Jace smiled.  "And so do you."

"Yes, I do, for whatever reason.  You drive me crazy."

"In bed." 

Simon groaned and set his guitar down.  Reaching out, he took Jace's hand.  "In all ways," he said solemnly.  "Though you won't hear any complaints about you in bed."

Simon smiled softly, looking at their hands clasped together and feeling nothing but love for the man next to him.  He knew they seemed an odd pair; the beautiful police officer and the nerdy musician, the dragon and the vampire.  He knew people must look at the two of them and wonder how those two worked.  He figured even Alec and Izzy must wonder that from time to time.  But whatever it was that brought them together, it was stronger than their differences.  

"You want to know why I won't let you talk to Magnus?" he asked a few minutes later, having lost himself in thought.  "It's because you don't need to.  We both can see the love they have for one another.  If I'm understanding your parabatai bond correctly, you can even feel what he feels for Magnus.  So, I think it is safe to say that whatever you have to say to him, it won't matter because it will never come to fruition.  Magnus and Alec are going to be in love from now until the end of time.  You don't need to threaten him because that will happen no matter what."

Jace stared at him, eyes narrowed as he thought.  "When did you get to be so smart?" he teased.  "Though, I think you are right.  I don't need to threaten Magnus.  I think Alec storming out and having his tantrum a couple months ago did more for that cause than I ever could, anyway."

Simon agreed.  Magnus had been heartbroken without Alec and Alec had been heartbroken without Magnus.  They would never be apart again because they both knew just how painful that separation would be.

Though Simon didn't need that experience to know that being without Jace would be unpleasant at best, and the cause of his death at worst.  He wanted the blond with everything he had and more.  

Which led him to think about other things.  

"Do you ever want to get married?" he asked.  "I mean, I do someday.  To you, that is.  I would want to marry anyone else.  But I wasn't sure if that was something you wanted.  And if you don't want that, that is okay too. I know we will be together forever, so I'm not worried about that, in case that is what you are thinking but..."

Jace leaned over and stopped his lips with a kiss.  "Si?  Shut up," Jace laughed.  "Yes, I want to marry you someday and I'm glad to hear you want to marry me too."

"Soon?  It doesn't have to be, of course.  I was just curious."

Rolling his eyes, Jace shrugged.  "Whenever we want, I guess.  There isn't any hurry.  Like you said, we both know we are going to be together forever, so is there any reason to hurry into it?"  

"Are you worried about Alec?  Think they are rushing into it?"  

He was relieved when Jace shook his head because Simon would have argued with him otherwise.  "No, because it's Alec.  He's wanted a love like he has now forever and thought it was denied to him.  Now that he has Magnus, he's not going to let him go for anything.  So no, I don't think those two are rushing into it.  Whereas, I've known you would appear in my life eventually so I was able to wait patiently.  I'm not going to rush into it because you are here and I just want to enjoy that.  Whether it is with a ring on my finger or not, it doesn't matter to me."

"If I proposed right now, what would you say?"  Simon didn't have a ring.  Simon didn't even have a plan to actually ask.  But now he was curious.  Would Jace turn him down, since he seemed pretty clear about not rushing into anything or would he say yes, because he also seemed pretty clear about marrying Simon someday?   
"I would say yes, but that I didn't want to get married for a few years.  I haven't even met your family yet, Si.  Don't you think we'd be skipping a few steps if we jumped to marriage right now?”  

Simon hadn't considered how he was going to introduce his boyfriend to his mother and sister.  He knew they would support him being in a relationship with a man.  (The long, painful pansexual conversation still stood out in his mind and would for hundreds of years.)  But trying to explain why his boyfriend would never get older.  Why he would never get older.  That Jace was his soulmate in the most literal interpretation of the term.  Simon didn't even know where to start.  

"You want to meet my mom and Rebecca?  You never said anything about it before."  If he was honest, Simon had only seen them once since his change, because trying to explain that he was now a vampire helping his new boyfriend hunt down the man who killed said boyfriend's family, was going to be nearly impossible.  "I'm certain they would be happy to meet us for dinner at some point.  If you are sure."

“Whatever you want, Simon.  But you know my family, so if you want, I would like to meet yours, as well.”  

Simon laughed, “And Raphael doesn’t count?  He’s my family now too.” 

“You have a weird family, you realize that?” Jace laughed.  Simon narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out where Jace was going with this.  “You have your mother and sister, who I don’t know much about.  Then there is Raphael, who’s like your big brother.  And then Magnus, who is your big brother’s father figure.  Who is marrying my brother.  So, your brother’s father is marrying my brother.  Doesn’t that strike you as a little weird at least?”

When Jace put it like that, Simon understood what he was talking about.  It sounded ridiculous and the only thing that saved it was the fact that they weren’t actually related.  Someday he would marry his brother’s father’s boyfriend’s brother, and Simon would go crazy just trying to figure out how to say that in a way that wouldn’t confuse everyone.

“Why don’t we just say we’re all family now and leave it at that?  Unless you want to be baffling purposefully.”  Simon sighed, “That’s what you want, isn’t it?  You’re just messing with me!”

Jace laughed long and loud, amused by his own humor even as Simon growled and leaped on him. The dragon and the vampire wrestled with one another, knocking over several pieces of furniture in the process.  Somehow, the friendly wrestling turned into friendly activities of another kind, which was how Clary and Izzy walked into the loft to find them both half-naked and laying in the middle of overturned furniture.  

“Seriously guys?” Clary laughed, staring down at them both with that amused smirk on her face that Simon adored in his best friend, even when it was directed at him.  “Iz, I’ve changed my mind.  I can’t live with these two anymore.”  

She spun on her heel and headed for the room, Izzy right behind her.  “You can’t leave me with them!” Izzy cried, their laughter disappearing behind a closed door.  

“They’re right.  Time for our own place, don’t you think?” Simon asked.

Jace pushed himself up to his feet.  “Two smart comments in one night.  I’m impressed, Si.  Might be a new record for you.”  

He made for their room and Simon scrambled after him, “Where are you going?”

“And there is my idiot that I love.  I thought we were going to get our own place.  I was going to go look for something.  I can do it on my own, I guess.”   

“Not on your life, Jace.  I get a say in this, too.”  Simon hurried after him.  Life with Jace was an adventure, an exercise in patience.  But Simon wouldn’t have it any other way.  He loved him, no matter how it might appear to people outside the relationship.

But if Jace thought he could pick their new home by himself, he had another thing coming.


End file.
